The Back-Up Plan Read Online Free PDF Page B

end.
    Donna squared her shoulders and dismissed the thought. This was home now. One by one she would work things out.
    She hoped.
    ~*~
    Hank shut off the lights and locked up the gym. The team was coming along. A couple of the freshmen were a little rowdy but they would learn that if they wanted to be on his team, they had to be a part of the team. This wasn’t junior high anymore.
    When he crossed the deserted parking lot, he considered the town’s new doc. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to play nice either. If he were lucky maybe she would be too busy with opening her clinic and getting settled in a new town to give him any more grief. She definitely didn’t like him.
    Shouldn’t bother him but it did. He headed for home. The air held the promise of cooler temps on the way. Perfect football weather: warm days and cool nights. He pulled in a long, deep breath of fresh air. He enjoyed teaching—or at least he would if he could get the principal from hell off his back.
    Mostly he enjoyed the kids. But his heart was still in the game. Coaching filled the void to some extent. If he hadn’t been so damned bullheaded things would be different now. When his playing career ended, he’d arrogantly refused all other offers, ESPN included. His bum knee hadn’t allowed him to make a comeback and the other offers never came again.
    “Give it a rest, Bradley.” He had burned that bridge three years ago. There wouldn’t be any going back now. He had to make the best of things as they were.
    He turned up Main Street and caught a glimpse of someone else admiring the gorgeous September afternoon. He grinned. Things were looking up already. Not far ahead of him, the doc strolled along at a leisurely pace. Might as well put his charm-the-doc plan into action. He quickened his pace to catch up with her. Not too quickly though, he liked the view from this angle.
    He’d love to see all that long, chestnut-colored hair hanging loose around her shoulders instead of pulled tight in that long braid. Big brown eyes, flecked with gold. Pouty lips. Before he met her, Hank had imagined Donna as tall and willowy like her sister. He’d been way off. Not much over five feet, she probably wouldn’t weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet, but she was all sweet, soft curves.
    Patty Russell had taken every opportunity during the last two weeks to mention her wonderful sister, the doctor. Hank knew a matchmaker when he saw one. He had certainly been plagued with enough of them since moving back home. He liked choosing his own conquests. A time or two he had come close to telling Patty to give it a rest. But now he was having second thoughts—at least, part of him was.
    “Doc,” he called, as he caught up to her, “wait up.”
    She stopped, but didn’t turn around. He knew when a woman was attracted to him. And this one definitely was—whether she wanted to be or not. Chemistry had exploded between them last night like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
    “You just out for a leisurely stroll or did you have another flat tire.” He turned on his most charming smile as he came up alongside her.
    She spared him the briefest of glances. “Melissa’s at a birthday party with her cousins. I thought I’d take a walk around town. Get to know the place.”
    For all his effort, she didn’t even smile back. She resumed her journey, content to leave him behind.
    The doc might be attracted to him, but she definitely didn’t like him. Hank watched her walk away. She didn’t like him at all. He grinned. She would just have to learn to like him. He hustled to fall back into stride next to her.
    She ignored him. Something witty to say about now would be good. She appeared engrossed in admiring the scenery. Maybe he would dazzle her with Huntley history.
    “If you like old houses, this is the street to live on.” Hank followed her gaze as she stopped to admire the big old Victorian and Colonial houses that dotted the landscape.
    “I love old houses.”